Posts tonen met het label Ecology. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label Ecology. Alle posts tonen

zondag 17 april 2016

We are rapidly approaching an environmental catastrophe: Plastic waste in the ocean will outnumber fish by 2050

We are rapidly approaching an environmental catastrophe: Plastic waste in the ocean will outnumber fish by 2050 -- Earth Changes

The report states that every year "at least 8m tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean - which is equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. If no action is taken, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050. In a business-as-usual scenario, the ocean is expected to contain one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish by 2025, and by 2050, more plastics than fish [by weight]." 

This scenario isn't only horrifying from an aesthetic point of view, the environmental impact has far-reaching ramifications. Think bisphenol A (BPA), DDT, PCBs — three exceptionally toxic chemicals present in plastic. BPA causes a number of disorders, including cancer, diabetes, infertility and obesity. DDT is linked with cancer, miscarriages, low birth weight, male infertility, developmental delay, nervous system and liver damage. PCBs also contribute to cancer and are linked with disorders of the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.